


As the Wind Blows

by mifuyuyu



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:01:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29179917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mifuyuyu/pseuds/mifuyuyu
Summary: a modern AU that I really need to finish soon- more Nikolas/Ingrid bs rated explicit for the second part coming whenever I can finish it
Relationships: Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Original Male Character(s)
Kudos: 2





	As the Wind Blows

Today was a big day.

To say Nikolas was nervous was an understatement. Was he dressed properly? Did he pick an appropriate place to eat for a first date? A lot of things ran through his mind as he drove downtown to get to the location, radio blasting those pop hits you'd hear playing at the mall on a daily basis. 

Ingrid had insisted she could drive herself, and he wasn't in the position to insist on picking her up himself, especially when he knew that she was sharing a flat with three others: Felix, who was very brooding and just the slightest bit intimidating, and then Sylvain and Dimitri, the former who was interested a little too much in their personal affairs, and Dimitri was… well, Dimitri. Really, that was the only thing that stopped him from pulling up in his convertible Mustang. It was unfortunate that it had to be that way, but he'd rather stay safe than sorry. 

After a long drive, he pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and sat for a few minutes before reaching over to the passenger seat and grabbing his smartphone.

No notifications, he thought as he looked at the screen. Maybe… maybe this was a mistake. 

There was no denying the pain in her expression when he had asked her out a week ago. He knew of her past only from what she'd told him— that she had lost her past love years ago— but that was it, and what was the use of prying for information that she wasn't ready to share with him? Regardless, he still wanted to try his luck with her. 

His phone vibrated and lit up with a message from Ingrid, saying that she had just parked and that she saw his car parked on the other side of the lot and was going to move to the empty spot beside his. Figures why he didn't see her yet.

Not even a minute after he saw the text, the empty spot was no longer vacated and was taken by Ingrid, who took the time to reverse and straighten her car as Nikolas stepped out of his own. The wind was a bit chilly, but then again it always was this time of year in Faerghus, especially in Fhirdiad, and his neatly-combed hair had been messed up due to the gusts of wind blasting at his face. That didn't spell out a good start to the date, at least in his eyes, and he didn't have a comb on him to fix his mess, so—

The car door shut and snapped him out of his thoughts, making him jump slightly as he looked over to meet the gaze of Ingrid, who seemed to share the same sentiment about her hair. Her frown could be seen for miles, though that quickly changed when Nikolas approached her, eyes softening and frown turning into a small grin. Getting a better look, she was wearing a long coat and scarf, paired with a long-sleeved shirt and skirt. A pair of tights were underneath them, and she wore a pair of flat one inch heels to complete the look.

"I'm glad you could make it, Ingrid." He smiled, though he stood awkwardly trying to figure out the proper etiquette. His hand pulled at the collar of his jacket, fixing it so that it sat flat. Instead of criticizing Nikolas for his behavior, Ingrid stepped closer to him and moved the loose strands of hair out of his face with the tips of her fingers. 

"I know you're nervous, but I promise that it's just like any other time we've talked or spent time together with the others. Just… in a different setting." She eyed his jaw with curiously and sighed, shaking her head and smiling. "A clean shave, too. You really went all out, didn't you?" 

He rubbed at the back of his head sheepishly. "I just wanted to impress you, that's all! I asked someone for advice, and they told me—" 

"Oh, Nikolas… you're very considerate, but I wouldn't have minded either way." Ingrid directed her gaze over to the entrance of the restaurant, hand retreating back to her side. "Anyways, shall we go in?" 

"Right, of course." 

They had both agreed on a smaller restaurant, but given that it was a Saturday evening and it was near the local college campus, there were more than they originally anticipated. Nikolas placed his hand on Ingrid's back and led her inside, giving anyone that looked in their general direction a small stare. A small tint of pink dusted her cheeks when she felt his hand, but quickly shrugged it off when it was their turn to be seated.

"For two." Ingrid spoke up before Nikolas could, and he raised his eyebrows but said nothing about it. They were quickly seated in a secluded corner of the building, the redhead pulling out the blonde's chair for her and she sat down before he did, hanging her coat on the back of it. "Thank you, Nikolas."

"You're welcome." He went around the table and sat down, taking a look at the menu. "Do you see anything that catches your eye, Ingrid?"

She pointed at a specific item on her menu; the largest sirloin the restaurant had to offer. "The sirloin sounds especially appetizing…" 

"That sounds pretty good, and looks just as appetizing. I might just get the same. Though, I might have to ask the server what type of oil they use, or if they can change it if it happens to be peanut oil. My allergy makes ordering food hard…"

Ingrid raised her brows, but remembered that he'd informed her about his nut allergy once or twice. She glanced down at her menu again, looking for any fine print that might indicate the ingredients of each dish. Nikolas looked at her inquisitively but stayed silent as she scanned the menu. Eventually, she placed her finger on the bottom of the page, where there was an asterisk indicating the items that might affect those with peanut allergies. 

"Here at the bottom, they've indicated the items in fine print that you shouldn't risk if you have a nut allergy," She smiled, turning her menu around so he could see, "so if you see the asterisk beside an item, you could try asking if they can switch over the oil."

"Thanks, Ingrid. So that means…" Nikolas traced his own menu to find the sirloin the blonde was talking about before, and sighed in relief. "No asterisk. That must mean they're cooking it with olive oil."

"That's good, then." Ingrid slid her menu back, flipping the page to look at the selection of drinks they had to offer. Green orbs looked at the various selection of beers and wines listed, looking up briefly. Her bangs flew in front of her face, so she sat up straight instead. "I'm not trying to be your mother, but I advise that you don't drink an abundance of alcohol while we're here since we drove separately. Not saying you like to drink excessively, but..."

"I know, I know…" 

Before he could attempt to protest, the server stopped by to take drink orders. Ingrid ordered lemon water while Nikolas ordered a single glass of white wine and an extra glass for ice water. Bowing, he left to go make their drinks, leaving the two to themselves. Ingrid moved her bangs to the side and closed her eyes, sighing in content. 

It felt nice to not deal with the antics of the other boys, at least for an hour or two.

"It seems like we know each other a lot already. I'm really at a loss as to what we should talk about, Ingrid." Nikolas folded his arms on the table, tapping his fingers against the wood lightly. "Uh… how have your classes been going?"

"Surprisingly well, thank you for asking. I should be picking up an internship at the veterinary clinic next semester to fulfill my degree requirement." Eyes opening back up, she took a moment to look down at Nikolas's fingers. Even though they confidently hit against the table, his hands trembled ever so slightly that his lack of confidence was evident. If it was a date with anyone else, they'd probably have thrown in the towel by then, knowing that their date couldn't even handle a simple conversation. 

Ingrid, however, reached across the small table and placed her hands on top of his. The small gesture meant a lot to him, and the tremors stopped after a few seconds. She smiled warmly to ease him further, thumbs running across his knuckles.

"Why don't we talk about something else? Do you think you'd find it easier to ask a question or two instead?"

"Ingrid no, I can't do that. I don't want to ruin it by acting self-centered and rude, especially on the first date." 

She frowned. "I know how much of a teddy bear you are already, so it would make me happy enough just to help you feel comfortable. I've been in your shoes before, trust me." 

"Okay." Nikolas let out a small breath, smiling. "First thing that pops into your mind when you think about me?"

Ingrid's brows scrunched together, and she groaned. "Such a hard question to start off with. Well, when I think of you… other than your physical appearance, I see your stubborn, yet selfless behavior." She retracted her hands, placing them on the table as well. "What about me?"

"Hard-working, intelligent, willing to stand for what she believes in. Those are your three best qualities from my standpoint." A blush crept onto Ingrid's cheeks, and she chuckled ever so slightly. "Hey, what's so funny about that?"

"Nothing, Nikolas! I think it's sweet. Most men your age would point out physical qualities first before anything else."

"I didn't fall for you because of your looks. You are beautiful, but your personality is what makes you attractive." 

"You're just flattering me." 

"But it's true!"

The server came back with the requested drinks, taking their food orders with a blank expression. Nikolas took a long drink of his wine, downing at least a fourth of the glass before setting it down. Ingrid was a bit skeptical, but it didn't seem that the alcohol wasn't affecting him, so she shrugged off the feeling and took a sip of her water. The pair looked at each other for a while, saying nothing as the hustle and bustle of the restaurant made it hard to keep up a conversation without getting a headache. 

It didn't take extremely long before the food came out, the server politely sitting down their dishes before bowing. Being that it was fresh, the steaks emitted visible heat vapor, and Nikolas pushed the dish to the side to let it cool off just a tad. Meanwhile, Ingrid started to slice hers into strips, licking her lips just enough so whatever amount of clear gloss on her lips disappeared without a trace; more than likely, it was not of her own suggestion to smear her lips with a coat. 

It was definitely a sight that he could get used to. 

"Nikolas, could you pass me the steak sauce? It's on your side of the table." The blonde held her hand out to him without being too demanding. He seemed to be out of it yet again, but instead of the nervous behavior from earlier, he was daydreaming about… well, her. It was evident to all but her that there was clear awe written all over his face. When he didn't respond for a few seconds, Ingrid raised her voice slightly. "Nikolas."

He gasped in shock when she raised her voice, thinking that he did something wrong. "Sorry Ingrid, I just got a bit… distracted, is all." Nikolas rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled nervously, searching her gaze and wondering what exactly Ingrid might be wanting. She didn't want to try his wine, did she? "Can you remind me what you wanted?"

"The steak sauce. It's on your side."

"Oh."

He slid it over to her hand and she caught it narrowly, glaring at him when a small sliver of the contents splattered onto her hand. The sauce itself smelled horrible to Nikolas, but Ingrid poured so much on her steak that it looked like just a pile of dark liquid. Her mouth watered at the sight, and she dug in mere seconds afterwards. Taking a whiff of the sauce made him gag, and he slid his plate over to smell his own, untainted meat.

Much better. 

As messy as Ingrid usually was, she had an air of grace about her as she slid another bite in her mouth; even she wasn't immune to nerves. After every bite, she dabbed at her face to wipe off any excess that might have been dripping down her mouth. Every minute or two, she would take a drink of water, being a cycle of at least a dozen times until Nikolas spoke up.

"What are you doing after this? I just wanted to ask, since we agreed to dinner and nothing else was really set in stone." 

Ingrid lowered the fork from in front of her mouth, dropping it down onto the plate. She had plans, yes, but they weren't necessarily even solid. Not anymore, at least. An uneasiness built in her stomach and her face lowered in disappointment. She was going to ask to go with him, after she dropped her car back at the flat. Maybe go to his apartment and spend some time together without the prying eye of the general public, or even the boys. Goddess knows that Sylvain would bother them to no end, and that surely wouldn't make things private, even if they did go to her room. 

There was no point in asking if he wasn't interested, though. She'll just make up a white lie and say that she's going to be busy with a term paper. 

Yeah, that should work.

"I—"

"—because I was wondering if you wanted to come over. I know it's last minute, but I don't really feel that this should be it, you know?" Nikolas stabbed his sirloin with his fork and picked it up whole, taking a bite and chewing it. The flavors melded together to make for an incredible taste, overpowering any control that the steak sauce had over him. His chin rested against the palm of his left hand, swallowing and awaiting an answer. Ingrid, however, was caught off guard by his statement and stared blankly in front of her. "Actually, nevermind, you probably have stuff to do—"

"No, I'm free. I'm sorry, you just… surprised me, Nikolas." She shook her head, leaning forward slightly. "I'd love to come over, after we make a stop at the flat to drop off my car." 

"Okay. Then as soon as we're done here, I'll follow you back. I don't really want to go in, so I'll park on the side of the street and wait for you." He picked up the sirloin with his fork yet again, shoving it in his mouth and taking a huge bite.

"Sounds like a plan."

The rest of the date went about as one would expect, with the two of them making idle talk while finishing off their dishes. The one thing that neither one of them could get over their mind was the fact that they would be completely alone with one another in Nikolas's apartment. Nearly anything could happen, and although she knew that he wouldn't try anything funny, Ingrid still had her doubts. Was she even making the right choice? She didn't know. All she knew is that when they decided to split the bill, since they agreed on the date together, that her fingers slipped and nearly caused her to drop her payment onto the floor. Thankfully, she managed to catch it before it could. 

She was completely fine just a minute ago, so why was she overreacting now?

Nikolas left the tip on the table and pushed his chair in, going over to her and doing the same once Ingrid stood up and slipped her coat back on. None of their belongings were left on the chair or under the table, at least as far as Ingrid knew. Even so, she had the habit of double-checking anyways just in case she dropped her keys and didn't hear them jingle, things of that sort. Nikolas didn't seem to think too much of it as he pressed forward, Ingrid quickly following suit behind him and fiddling with her coat buttons. 

The temperature dropped a significant amount since they had gone inside, given that the sun was finally starting to set over the horizon. There wasn't really anything indicating to the seeing eye that the two had just finished a date, especially when the pair stood outside of the restaurant for a good portion of the next minute in silence, both of them trying to figure out what the next course of action should be.

They both knew they were going to his apartment eventually, and they knew that she had to drop off her car first… but really, what was after that? What would they even be doing? Again, Ingrid's mind wandered to the odd scenario that played through her head, even as they parted ways temporarily to drive separately. 

She hoped to the Goddess above that the night would remain tame for her own sake. 


End file.
